G/AG/N/AUS/124  
 
11 July 2019 
(19-4608) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  10 July  2019, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Australia . The notification concerns actions taken within the framework of the Decision on 
Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least -Developed 
and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries ( Table NF:1 ) during the financial  year 
from  01-07-2017  to 30-06-2018 . 
 
_______________  
 
 
  
 
 G/AG/N/AUS/124  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 16.2 OF THE A GREEMENT: MONITORING  OF THE  
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DEC ISION ON MEASURES CO NCERNING THE POSSIBL E 
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME  ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING C OUNTRIES: AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD:  FINANCIAL YEAR  FROM 01 -07-2017 TO 3 0-06-2018 
______________________________________________________________________________  
 
1  QUANTITY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED TO LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOO D-
IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COU NTRIES  
1.1.  Australia provided (AUD) $84.7 million in food assistance for LDCs1 and NFIDCs2 in financial 
year 2017 -18 (see Annex A for a breakdown by recipient country). All funding was provided as 
cash-based support to the UN World Food Programme for emergency  relief. The WFP decides what 
commodities to purchase with Australia’s contribution.   
2  INDICATION OF THE PR OPORTION IN FULLY GR ANT FORM OR APPROPRI ATE 
CONCESSIONAL TERMS  
2.1.  All Australian food assistance is provided in fully grant form.  
3  TECHNICAL AND FINANC IAL ASSISTANCE UNDER PA RAGRAPH 3(III) OF TH E DECISION  
3.1.  The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is primarily responsible for 
delivering Australia's aid program. This aid program includes work to improve agriculture and rural 
development in  LDCs and NFIDCs. Detailed information on Australia’s aid program is available 
at https://dfat.gov.au/ . 
3.2.   The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also assists  LDC 
and NFIDCs through its Glob al Program, delivering agricultural research programmes  in collaboration 
with Australian institutions and their counterparts in developing countries. Detailed information on 
ACIAR’s Global Program is available at https://www.aciar.gov.au/ .  
3.3.  In 2017 -18, Australia provided $377.9 million for programmes  within the ambit of the Decision 
(see Annex B, column 4), including $164.8 million directed to LDCs and NFIDCs (see Annex  B, 
column 3). The expenditure was channelled t hrough multilateral, regional and bilateral program mes; 
humanitarian/emergency assistance; non -government organisations (NGOs); ACIAR; and other 
government departments (OGDs).  
DFAT Bilateral and Regional Programmes   
3.4.  The majority of Australia's aid is delivered through bilateral and regional programmes . Bilateral 
country strategies reflect recipient government priorities and Australia's capacity to assist.  Specific 
activities are developed with partner countries in order to provide technical and financial 
assistance.  Australia also supports several regional programmes  which are often the most cost 
effective response to region -wide development challenges.  
3.5.  In 2017 -18, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to LDCs 
and NFIDCs was approximately $74 million. This assistance focused on agricultural productivity and 
sustainability, crop storage, environmental management, developing markets, the provision of 
infrastructure related to food secur ity and assisting countries adjust to changes in trade patterns.  
                                                
1 Based on  Least -Developed Countries as recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the UN.  
2 See G/AG/5/Rev/10 of 23 March 2012.  G/AG/N/AUS/124  
 
- 3 - 
 
  Other program mes 
3.6.  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to multilateral development banks and other  
relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security, agricultural produ ctivity and 
infrastructure related development activities.   
3.7.  Australia supports scholarship students from LDCs and NFIDCs on agriculture, forestry and  
fisheries.   
3.8.  A number of Australian NGOs receive aid program funding that has a direct impact on improving  
food security, agricultural productivity and infrastructure in developing countries.  
ACIAR  
3.9.  ACIAR’s purpose is to achieve more productive and sustainable agricultural systems for 
developing countries through agricultural research and training partnerships. In 2017 -18, the 
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) expended $112.49  million. 
$35.31  million was provided to multilateral International Agricultural Research Centres  (IARCs), 
$30.08 million of which was directed to programmes  advancing ACIAR’s objectives in LDCs and 
NFIDCs (see Annex C for a breakdown of ACIAR’s funding to IARCs).  
4  OTHER RELEVANT INFOR MATION WITH RESPECT TO ACTIONS TAKEN WIT HIN THE 
FRAMEWORK OF THE DEC ISION  
4.1.  Outside of Australia’s food aid and financial assistanc e delivered by DFAT and ACIAR, a number 
of Federal and State Government agencies ("Other Government Departments") sponsored official 
exchanges with developing countries on agriculture and food security, totalling around $7.2 million 
in 2017 -18, of which $0 .2 million was directed at LDCs and NFIDCs.  
 
 
 G/AG/N/AUS/124  
 
- 4 - 
 
  ANNEX  A 
FOOD ASSISTANCE THRO UGH THE UN WORLD FOO D PROGRAM FOR LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTR IES, 
FINANCIAL YEAR 2017 -18 
Country  Total Value  
(AUD million)  
Afghanistan  16.90  
Angola  0.30 
Bangladesh  22.54  
Bhutan  0.12 
Cambodia  0.73 
Kenya  0.29 
Lao People's Democratic Republic  1.00 
Lesotho  .70 
Mauritania  4.20 
Myanmar  .56 
Nepal  1.00 
Pakistan  7.00 
Rwanda  3.50 
Senegal  0.50 
Somalia  6.30 
Tanzania  4.80 
Uganda  8.10 
Yemen  6.20 
Total 84.74  
Source: DFAT . 
ANNEX B  
DIRECT AID FLOWS FOR  FOOD SECURITY, BY P ROGRAM ME, 2017 -18 (AUD MILLI ON) 
1 2 3 4 
Program me Sub Program me To LDCs and 
NFIDCs  Total all 
programmes  
Bilateral & Regional Program mes Bilateral Programmes  73.4 129.7  
  Regional Programmes  0.6 36.8 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  39.0 43.2 
  Other International  21.6 65.9 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  30.0 95.1 
  Other Government 
Departments  0.2 7.2 
Total LDCs and NFIDCs    164.8   
TOTAL all programmes     377.9  
Source: DFAT . G/AG/N/AUS/124  
 
- 5 - 
 
  ANNEX C  
ACIAR CONTRIBUTION T O IARCS, 2017 -18 
ACIAR Contributions to IARCs  Total value  
(AUD million)  
CGIAR Centres   
Unrestricted funding to all CGIAR Centres (Window 1)  5.50 
Funds to CGIAR Research Programmes  (CRPs) via CRP Lead Centres (Window 2)   
CIAT 1.50 
CIFOR  1.30 
CIMMYT  1.30 
CIP 1.50 
ICRISAT  1.00 
ILRI 1.30 
IFPRI 1.70 
IRRI 0.40 
IWMI 1.50 
WFC 1.30 
Total to CRP Lead Centres  12.80  
ACIAR specific projects   
Window 3 and bilateral funding from ACIAR  15.50 
Total CGIAR  33.80  
Non-CGIAR IARCs  
AVRDC  0.427 
CABI 0.530 
Total Non -CGIAR IARCs  0.957  
Regional support  
APAARI  0.11 
SPC 0.44 
Total - Regional Support  0.55 
   
Total Multilateral Funding  35.307  
Source: ACIAR . 
 
 
__________